This invention generally relates to the field of telecommunications and more particularly, is directed to a low profile telephone set which can be used as a wall mount-type or as a table top model.
Over the years, telephone sets have become one of the most popular and often necessary pieces of equipment in offices and homes. Modern telephone sets come in many different styles and usually include a number of features which are tailored to the user's needs. With respect to the outer structure of telephones, they can usually be divided into two categories, table top models and wall mount-type models.
In a table top model telephone, it is preferable for the convenience of the user that the front surface of the telephone be designed on an incline to improve the accessibility and operability of the telephone dialing apparatus. On the other hand, it is desirable that a wall mount-type telephone set be designed so that the top surface of the telephone is substantially parallel to the mounting surface and that the overall thickness is as thin as possible. However, the requirement of a manufacturer to produce two different types of telephone models, in addition to them being in a variety colors, is not cost effective. Thus, ideally a telephone set should be usable as a table model or as a wall mount-type model. Telephone sets which have this feature affords the user the maximum degrees of flexibility in the use of the telephone and also affords the manufacturer the benefit of a unitary design.
In a conventional telephone set which is designed for use as both a table model and as a wall mount-type model, a formed casing is usually provided which has top and bottom surfaces which are parallel to each other. A box-shaped holder is separately provided which has a lower side wall and an upper side wall. The holder is detachably secured to the bottom surface of the casing. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a prior art telephone set in accordance with this construction.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the telephone set includes handset 1, casing 2 composed of upper cover 2a and bottom cover 2b and holder 3. Casing 2 is formed with an upper surface 2c and a bottom surface 2d having planes which are parallel to each other. Holder 3 is formed in a box-shape and has a higher side wall 3a and lower side wall 3b. When the telephone is used as a table top model, holder 3 is fixed to bottom surface 2d of casing 2 in a relationship where higher side wall 3a corresponds to front portion 2e of casing 2 and lower side wall 3b corresponds to back portion 2f. Consequently, inclination angle .theta. is formed between the planes of top surface 2c of the casing and table top 6a. The user may more conveniently operate the telephone due to the presence of inclination angle .theta..
When the telephone is mounted on a wall, as shown in FIG. 2, holder 3 is fixed to casing 2 in the opposite direction to that shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, holder 3 is fixed to wall 6b by means of plate 6c. The height of the front portion 2e of the telephone set as measured from wall 6b is lower than the height of the back portion 2f. The manner in which the telephone set is secured to plate 6c and wall 6b is described in more detail in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 709,762 filed Mar. 8, 1985.
Conventional telephone sets as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are deficient in that the height of the telephone set from the table top or wall is not sufficiently low. Low height has the virtues of stability and occupies less space. A lower profile telephone also requires less storage capacity which is also an important consideration for transportation. Because the cost of storage and transportation depends on the size of the telephone set, size accounts for a large percentage of overall cost.
The height of the telephone set is determined by the height of its highest internal component such as element 5 as shown in FIG. 3. Since the size of internal components cannot also be easily decreased, it is necessary to provide other ways of decreasing the overall height of the telephone set.